


Travels made with no steps taken.

by Jena_ch



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Feelings, Feels, Fluff, Horror, Paraplegia, Pokemon Journey, Romance, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Insert, Team as Family, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, impaired character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25636897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jena_ch/pseuds/Jena_ch
Summary: Little steps for one, great steps for the other. In this case, she took no steps physicaly.From France to Sinnoh and beyond. Follow Jéna as she lives the dream to become a Pokemon Trainer like no other (that we know of, really.).Because she isn't the player, the protagonist who save the day anymore. There's no storyline she has to follow anymore: she's free to go where she wish and do as she want.Because the games, the anime, the manga and the movies aren't perfect depiction of this Pokemon world and it's not as peacefull or as good.Because traveling between worlds wasn't harmless, even more so when she should have died. So she goes whitout the ability to take even one step.Still, it feel like there's wings in her back and the wind blow strong enough against her feathers that she'll be launched into the sky any second.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Feel like  the devil's trade.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting transported to another world: done.   
> Paying the price for it: also done.

The hospital was, surprisingly, colored.

Of course it was mainly white or in pale colors. But still quite warm or refreshing. Her room was painted in warm orange with a white floor and yellow everything else. The corridor just outside had its walls half beige and half orange.

Others where in clear sky blue, or earthy greens, gem-like purple or bright pink.

Everything in the room was the kind of simple furniture you found in randoms rooms of an hospital: a bed on wheels with railing, a dresser, a table and a chair. That’s all. The bathroom’s door was right before the bed, in the middle of the room. The far wall was entirely made out of windows which gave the patient a full view of the street. There was a parc on the other side of the road and tall skyscrapers on either side of both the hospital and the park.

It would have seemed all very normal if not for the city that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Tall buildings of dark bricks but bright roof and skyscrapers of glass and metal. Large streets lined with colourful and luminous shops and a lot of arcade, bars, nightclubs an Karaokes whose music carried all the way to her well into the night since she woke up. She could see that the park didn’t have a ground that was level and that the street on the other side was on a lower level than both the hospital and the park.

In the game, Jubilife City had no park, just a large square before the Wifi building, and no human hospital. But it did have tall buildings and the reputation of beings a large and modern city.

When she first told she was in _Jubilife City_ in _Sinnho_ , she turned to her windows and simply stared.

She began searching for as many Pokemons as she could. Starlys flying in the sky, a Chansey nursing her back to health with the nurse, an Alakazam following the doctor around, trainers with a Shinx, a Bidoof or a Budew.

They all were as she remembered and yet she had never seen them in real and alive. The Starlys looked more like particularly large birds. Chansey was all leathery skin and no fur or anything, with an egg in its front pocket. Alakazam was all fur, short golden strands everywhere, except where they were long and brown, with a fox-like and monkey-like appearance. Shinx looked like the cubs of big cats from far away. Bidoof was like a hamster overweight acting like a dog and standing at about the same size. Budew was a walking plant.

She was in the world of Pokemon. In Jubilife City, the city of radio and T.V with the pokemon school, of Sinnho.

There was a whole world out there to discover. Fiction was now reality all around her. A dream of many come true.

And yet she could not make a single step anymore.

The accident had been violent and cruel even if it was something that happened every day to so many people. She remembered being thrown around in the car. Everything breaking around her and the broken bits adding to her injuries. She remembers something through her belly and her mother’s seat pushing backward, crushing her legs. She remembers the glass slipping over her skin and metal rattling her bones. She remembers the smell and taste of blood, dust and smoke.

She remembers pain and fear. She remembers relief -she opened her eyes in the end and she remember her little brother moving next to her- and sadness -her father’s face as he turned in his seat and saw his children, saw his daughter- and her mother moving before her.

She feels horror and despair.

_It can’t be. Her legs will be fine. She’ll heal. She’ll move. She can be operated on, can’t she? Just give her time and she’ll walk again. Aren’t there braces or some sort of exosqueleton to help her?_

She’s incredibly sad to leave her family. She’s overwhelmed with happiness to be in this world, away from the one she was born in. She’s angry and horrified to lose her legs.

Who the hell gave her such a poisoned gift?! As if it wasn’t bittersweet enough on its own!

She couldn’t even rejoice in it. Not yet. She had to heal first. And then she’d have to survive because she was a ghost for the system: no identity papers or birth certificate, no family, no home, no friends, no money, no job…And finally she’d have to manage without her legs for the rest of her life.

Which would _not be easy._

Nor something appreciable in anyway.

“Hello, Jéna!”

She flinched, the voice much too loud and preppy for her ears or her mood, and turned to glare at her nurse. The woman was all kindness and sweetness with a lot of smiles and incredibly over the top. The second _she_ decided something it happened. Even if it was that you were now the best of friends and that she could act as if you had grown up together.

She didn’t get along that well with her _brother_. She was going to kill that woman one day.

The worse would be that she was everywhere in her personal space and so was her Chansey. Seeing the Pokemon live and heal her with its ability “soft-boiled” was fascinating and incredible. But ending up battling with the nurse so her nail would, at least, be another color than pink if not painted at all was seriously grating. No she didn’t want to hug her, ugh, or to have help moving around -just hold the wheelchair damn it- or, horror, to shower and clothe herself with her help. Yes, she despised all those pink and flowery and fluffy things the nurse brought to wear. No she didn’t want to wear all that make up. No, no picture. No, no visit, who the fuck did she want to see?! No, movie nights where not something she wanted, just give her the damn video game console!

“Today is such a beautiful day, Jéna!” Began the woman while coming to embrace her. “The sun is bright; the wind blows gently and everyone has gone out to take it all in! How about we do the same?”

_Are you some sort of specialized nurse whose job is only to socialize with patient or do you have an actual job to do?_

Jéna sighed, that would have been overly mean and probably closer to the truth than she liked: someone out there, some sort of psychiatrist, had to work all day only by making sure his patients were just in a good mood and socializing with at least himself. Depression were actual illness, if different in their ways, and suicide was a real danger.

And Jéna had lost her legs. More than enough of a traumatize and quite enough to lose some will. Like the will to live.

Still, Jéna knew the effect the sun had on humans, both biological and mental, so she pointedly pushed the nurse aside, got in the chair and rolled herself out even if she had only one arm. The woman tried to push her but she squeezed the wheel in her hand until the woman decided burning her patient’s hand like that wasn’t worth the fight. Instead, she praised her on already being so good at making use of the wheelchair.

_That’s right, remind me that I had to get used to this. That’s a big unsaid “you lost your legs recently and yet” right there._

“Some patient will have their Pokemons out and about! Maybe we’ll see some cute ones!”

“Maybe I won’t see you anymore. Maybe one will eat you.” Grumbled Jéna, giving her wheel a powerful push.

Which, because of a corner, almost made her roll over a tiny Shinx who had been running. Jéna froze and so did the Pokemon.

“I’m so _sorry!_ ” Exclaimed the blonde woman. “Are you alright!?”

The Shinx hissed, a static-like sound, before darting back in the corridor and around the feet of a man in crutches.

“Sorry about him. He’s a scaredy cat. Especially around strangers.” He smiled sheepishly. “Come on little one, she apologized.”

The man gently pushed the Shinx with a heavily bandaged foot but the Pokemon simply disappeared behind the other one and began to rub his head against his trainer. The man chuckled gently and bend down to lift him.

“You’re mean to the poor lady.”

“It’s fine. I must have scared him even more.” Jéna spoke quickly, with a tiny voice. “I’m so sorry.”

Suddenly, the nurse was in between them:

“Oh! Are you going out in the courtyard, Jun-kun? Let’s go together.”

“ _Pushy and bossy.”_ Hissed Jéna as she pushed herself away from reaching hands fast.

Once in the courtyard, the nurse forced them on a bench in the shadow before she got called away. Bot of them stared a she disappeared before pointing to the same patch of grass in the sun.

“Let’s go there!” They said, the words being eaten by how fast they spoke, before rushing there with smiles on their lips.

Jun let himself fall happily in the grass and opened his harms to let Jéna fall a bit more into him than in an uncontrollable manner on the floor. His Shinx cautiously circled them, not trusting her, before settling behind his trainer.

“So?” He asked with a teasing smile. “How long till you’re free?”

“Two weeks and then they planned for regular check ups there and there. I got a bad tear in my side and my arm was just as bad so they’re worried.”

“Oh, same! I got hit in the head and it was a bit bad for a time so they keep a close eye on me. They think that since I’m a trainer, I’ll disappear into the roads the second I set foot outside.”

“Talking about outside…I got a few questions and no one’s been answering.”

“Oh? Why not? Well, no matter: I’m all ears!”

A full-on interrogation began and the trainer lost his smile quickly. At multiple times, he almost asked questions of his own with a hard look on his face but kept on answering hers.

“We are in Jubilife City Sinnho? Not far from Twinleaf town and Sandgem town, and Oreburght City.”

“What the-?! Yes! Oh, dear Arceus, why-?”

“Are there any animals here aside from humans and pokemons?”

“Yes, didn’t you see the sparrows around? They’re rare thought.”

“How rare?”

“I don’t really know? Like half as many? Compared to Pokemons I mean.”

“How do you get a Pokemon?”

“Lots of way. A family member or friend give you one. Or a licenced breeder, teacher or scientist. Sometimes there’s a bit of trade going around but there not quite legal.”

“Is there a age restriction? Or conditions?”

“No? You can be anyone.”

“What about trainers?”

“You go to school and you pass the exam. Either at the end of your year or when you think your own studies did the job.”

“Are wild Pokemon really violent?”

“Huh? Well, yes. They’re trying to maim, incapacitate, or kill They’re goal is _their_ safety and survival. Not yours.”

“Alright but do you get attacked often on the road?”

“It depends where. And on the individual pokemon. And if you look threatening enough to discourage them or to be a challenge.”

“You said they aim to kill or maim. Does that happen during matches between trainers?”

“It’s more of an accident, or a trainer being cruel and violent. But yeah, it happens. You gotta be careful to get your Pokemon away before that happen.”

“What are the chance I can be a trainer?”

“What are the chance someone can stop you?”

After a few question, Jéna’s question became simple things found in normal conversation. They spoke of their favorite Pokemon, food, animal, places, dreams…

And suddenly, a shot rang strong and loud. Startling and scarring everyone into taking cover.

At first, Jéna and Jun looked at each other, Jun’s Shinx trembling under his human’s arms, without understanding what they were earring.

Then more shots rang. All worryingly near. And they could only look toward toward the sound in horror as shouts began to be heard. Both of joy and excitement, fear and pain, anger.

“There’s a hunt!” Exclaimed Jun. “We got to go back inside!”


	2. Traveller with nothing to their names but it'll be the names of the great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jéna's out the hospital and not happy about it. She can't have this, she can't have that, she should give this, she has to give that...  
> No matter, she'd get what she want anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who played the Pokemon Diamon game will recognise the clowns and the man's dialogue. Its, word for word, what they actually say in the game. I only changed their greeting a little bit since they all say "Hi, I'm...and blablabla.".

When Jéna healed, she had hoped that it was _just a joke._

Surely, there was some sort of system, of institution, in place to welcome people like her. In need and with nothing but the clothes on their back.

Surely the hospital would want to keep her longer to ensure she did not end up in the street and, you know, need to come back because of illness, hypothermia and infections. Or someone from the hospital would have presented themselves to offer her a roof. Or asked someone for her.

Did they really do that back on earth? Did they really do that here?

She was wounded and paraplegic. With an arm and a leg still immobilized and broken. And a tear in her side with stiches that would need to be taken out and carefully treated. She had limited movement from all that and, currently, anyone but a senior and their deambulator were faster than her.

So, if someone decided to attack the defenceless and homeless and alone girl out in the dark and isolated streets it would be easy. If a wild, or stray, Pokemon or animal decided to do the same it would be just as easy.

On the same line she’d go hungry, thirsty and cold really fast. She’d fall ill or with an infection even faster because of the lack of hygiene and her wounds.

Which, you know, already took a toll on her body by themselves.

And that was without counting any illness that were only in this world and that her body wouldn’t know what to do with. She was used to one set of regular colds, earth ones, and got vaccine for the illness from there.

She’d had to check if she needed any.

And she couldn’t even imagine how much what she had not thought of could make the situation even worst.

Aside from the fact that she was still a ghost. No papers of any kinds: from birth certificate to simple cards or papers proving that you’ve passed by-like a simple receipt from somewhere- passing by every papers you got as you build your life.

She had none and no one would make her any. Her medical file had been a few scattered papers that they kept in a side file in some random cabinet. They knew where it was and filled it as best as they could. But everyone else had everything made digital, papers being scanned and printed and thrown or given as needed. They’d throw hers when she’d pay or when she’d have the papers necessary to make a proper file.

In the same way, the people at the City Hall had made a file with a copy of every papers she had filled and of the demand for identification papers that they had send for her once she filled it. It was a thin thing the worker kept in a random drawer. They gave her a few copies that they told her to present to other officers-police or just government- if ever demanded. But no one gave her the actual papers. Or proposed her anything to help her even when she asked.

She had to seek them all out and none of them would, or could, help.

On one hand, surely it means that there was no homeless people or immigrant in this world. That had to be a good thing, right?

But now she was alone, with no support, in the darkening street of Jubelife City were the blood of the Pokémon killed from the last hunt was still clearly marked by the sand left on the pavement.

Everything was much bigger than in the game. The game had a few streets and fewer buildings or houses to feel them. The manga and anime hinted at there being more but did not show. Yet, here the apartment building were skycrapers and the TV, radio and shopping centers were even more imposing.

Aside from the sand and a few excrement or thrash left near the full bins, everything was clean. Almost spotless really: the only marks were actually left over from this or that affiche or burns and scratches from Pokémon’s attacks. There was a lot of greenery decorating the streets and even more colourful decoration in all the shop’s windows.

But finding the City Hall had taken her too much time: the sky was grey and tinted with fire-orange, the street’s lights were on and every shadow were long.

Where to go? Where could she stay for the night?

She only knew the people of the hospital in this city. And they stayed all right where they did not want her anymore: the hospital. The exception was the workers who did not want to help. Among them, the horribly happy nurse.

She had searched for some form of help dedicated to the people in need- she didn’t even need to precise for who, she corresponded to every category save for elderly related ones- that she could think of from her world. Tuition, lodgement, loans, work, food, insurances… But you needed money for those here. Or to be a trainer or a scientist or some other peculiar or important profession.

So maybe, if she looked at it using her knowledge from the games? What was here?

In Jubilife City, you get the…She didn’t know the English name but it was that digital watch for trainers. Anyway, you get it for free easily by answering right to three clowns and getting their coupon. There’s also the TV’s head office and the building full of reporters. Now she knew there also was a Radio’s head office and their reporters. There was a shopping center. A Pokemon Center and a regular Pokemon shop. The people of the City had talked about a Police and there was the hospital. The wifi center was probably replaced by some other great building that made sense to exist in real life.

There was also the Pokémon school. A free program for the watch in the shopping center. Someone exchanging a pokemon in one apartment building. And you get the fishing pole by talking to a fisherman near the coast.

If that was like the game, she could easily and safely visit the coast later: it was quite near in the game, through one city gate only.

She almost jumped out of her chair with the realisation: City gates! How were they used? Would there be security? Anyone who would chase a homeless girl out of it? Because, if no, then the gate would be open all night and the only danger would be the travellers coming in or out of the city.

It would be a public place with no closing hours and no guard to throw out an homeless person.

In Jubilife City, there was only one which led to the coast and the fisherman. She’d go there and hope no one would bother her.

To get there, she had to follow not the one main road turned toward the sea like in the game, but follow one of them and then go through a few streets to find the right road to follow directly to the building used as a sort of gate.

When she finally got there, she was happy to see dims light inside. The building looked like its sole purpose was to force all passages to go through it. It was so wide it took all space on the road but it didn’t look too long since she could see the other side. The door was a simple double glass door but looked solid and it had just two windows in the corners that she could see. The bricks were dark brown but not painted and the tiles where dark blue. It looked like it was made to be solid and not pretty.

Through she could see a plant inside.

She made herself roll as near as she could until she was before the stairs.

Going down the sidewalk had been a worrying jump. And if no one was around to help, she didn’t know how she’d go _up._

And there was no one. Not a trainer going in or out and not a fisherman waiting around.

So, with a determined sigh, she decided to crawl. It’s not like it was really humiliating after all. She shouldn’t see it that way. No one should. It was proof that _she could do it on her own perfectly fine, thank you._

No need to be lifted or pushed. Not even to really crawl.

She just had to sit herself on the top steps, letting her legs rest down the others, and lift the chair to her level. All with her perfectly working hands and arms. Finally, she took a second to proudly see that she had worried for nothing before lifting herself back in the chair just as easily.

The door opened toward the inside and she entered with only a bit of resistance from the used carpet, it was worse than biking in the grass. She was happy to recognise the place from the games: green walls with a large map of Sinnho, potted plants scattered all along the walls, and dims light all around.

She spared one look at the map before going to watch outside from the other door. The road was longer than she hoped it would but she could still see the sea from here and not a bunch of tall grass in sight at all.

She happily watched the night fall other the water, the sunset colouring a bit of the sky over the horizon. She ended up unable to see outside and she fled the dark by setting herself before the map. She watched it to her heart content for a long moment, trying to memorise more names and details than what she had before and just happily drinking in the sight.

No one came, not even some security or police officer. The corridor was long enough that you couldn’t see her from outside if she stayed against the wall, behind the plants, and in the middle. The lights didn’t go off either.

She felt safe enough to let herself fall back in the chair, head resting the wall, and closing her eyes.

Her heart was light even as it was weighted down by worry for her safety and prosperity.

She was in another world, _incredible_ , which was actually the Pokemon’s world, _marvellous,_ and she had survived a horrible accident, _devil’s luck._

_And she now had all of those exciting, awe-inspiring, beautiful things to discover._

_She had a whole world to discover._

She woke up thrice, which was highly uncomfortable and irritable. The first time, a random traveller came in, looking dead tired on their feet, and made his way through with eyes half closed and not one look towards her. She was certain he hadn’t known she was here at all.

The second time was because a Trainer passed through. He didn’t look that tired but very much distracted by his rowdy Pokémons: two tiny Stylix flying around his head in teasing manners.

The third time, a man entered silent as a shadow. She was too tired and too groggy to realise but he saw her. She remembers the large silhouette above her and the rough hands moving her so she’d be lying in the chair: back against the wall and legs thrown over the armrest. His touch was kind and he felt strangely safe.

“Don’t worry, go back to sleep.”

He said something else but she had already done as he said and gone back to sleep. His voice and touch weren’t warm, he actually had fingers a bit cold, and his voice was like a sound belonging to some deep cave or the depth of the sea, not suave or seducing deep.

But strangely, he was strong. And that strength, she could feel protecting her.

When she woke up, she felt foolish and confused. There was a cloak of a light brown color and well used around her. It had holes at the hem and dirt smudge here and there. Since her face had been buried in the hood like a child held their plush, she got a nose full of the stranger scent: musk, rain, dust, dirt, sea and sweat. It made her feel like she had discovered the human’s version of a wet and muddy dog: wet and muddy human.

She had to take a moment to be thankful to the man and try to send him her thanks: on her lap, he had left a handful of protein bars. And hidden on her lap, but under the cloak, there was five bills of this world currency with a number that seemed that little bit too large.

She didn’t have enough to pay the hospital. But her food and water, as well as a bit of antiseptic for the tear in her side, where secured for a time.

And she could buy a Pokeball.

The Pokemon Shop was on the other side of the city. The blue building was quite big with a lot of sections all dedicated to ensure that a Trainer would go on his travel well equipped, if not equipped like an expert, to survive camping in the wild. That was the only difference with the little thing you’d see in games, otherwise, it was decorated the same and even the counter was where she remembered it. There was a lot of sleeping bags and tents, food and cooking utensils to use in camping, shoes and coats and bags, medkits with sunscreens and bugs repellent. There was also kits and potions, paralyz heal, anti-poison, awaken and gauze for the Pokémons. There were a few bags to carry the littler Pokémon as well as food for them. Then there was the Pokeballs.

They were all in their tiny unused form, the size of a simple marble, and there was an offer to buy ten of them to get an Honorball for free instead of buying those since they were twice the price of a Pokéball.

She had 200 Pokemon dollars and a Pokéball cost exactly that.

Should she get the Pokéball and become a trainer in one shot or fail and get attacked? Or should she keep that money to get food later on?

She took the object with a renown of two worlds and knew to go south toward Sandgem town.

No, just to be safe, she’d go with another trainer. In hope that they wouldn’t decide it was cheating or illegal.

“I need your Trainer’s card, please.”

_What?_

“I don’t-“She lost control of her tongue, her brain going too fast for her body. “I don’t understand: why?”

“We don’t sell to people who aren’t trainer, breeder, a scientist or an licenced owner of a Pokémon. We need the card as physical proof to register with your purchase. Too many people go unprepared because they didn’t have at least a Pokémon.”

“I’m a freaking ghost.” She grumbled bitterly as she gave her the Pokeball. “How should I get any freaking papers.”

She turned around and began to make her way out:

“Thanks and good day!”

She wanted to kick something.

“Hi!” She jumped upright, lifting her head to come nose to nose with a yellow and orange clown. “I’m a Poketch campaign clown! Let’s roll out my question!”

_Where did he come from? She didn’t ask for anything!_

For one instant, the blonde simply didn’t get what he was talking about. Worse, she was French and it took her a minute to realise what “Poketch” was. But he was a clown asking question in Jubeelife City.

Would she really get a free Trainer’s digital watch if she found all three of them? Even if she was clearly not a trainer yet?

“Does a Pokemon grow by defeating others and gaining Exp points?” Asked the man, coming nearer as she rolled backwards.

“Yes.” She answered immediately.

It was such a stupid and easy question. Pokémon was so old and so popular as _fiction_ everyone knew that. So she couldn’t imagine who wouldn’t know the answer in the actual world of Pokémon.

“Ding, Ding!” He cried happily brandishing a colorful slip of paper in the air. “You’re absolutely correct!”

He gave the coupon to her and she could see that a lot of things where impressed on it. A large stylized number one, a Pokeball and a Poketch as well as a lot of numbers and a barcode.

“Pokemons become stronger by defeating other Pokémons in battle. Some Pokémon even grow into an entirely different form in a process known as evolution.”

And suddenly she was worried for the life of the trainers of this world. Because, for the clown to explain that, they were either really stupid or really young. Which was not a good thing to go travel on a dangerous road alone.

In the fiction most characters were around ten. Was that actually the reality here?

“Now you should find the two other clown and you’ll get the free poketch!”

“Hum, thanks.” She answered as he sped away.

She lowered her eyes on the blue coupon and frowned: would the company director really give her the poketch? Would he check for her cards as well?

She would not complain if he did not.

She found the other clowns. It was harder than in the game since they moved in the whole street and could be hidden by others easily -even more so with her new size- but they were more or less at the same place as in the game so she still found them. They asked the exact same question as in the game, which she answered with a quick and assured “yes” each time. Each times, she listened to them fondly.

The one near the shopping center had the attitude of a cool uncle rather than the typical “Hi”, preferring a silly “Hey~Pretty fellow Trainer!”, before sticking to his lines:

“I’m a Poketch campaign clown! Let’s roll out my question! Just like Pokémon types, the moves of Pokémon also have types? ”

_Yes_

“Ding, Ding!” He cried happily shaking with enthusiasm a bell. “You’re absolutely correct! If the Pokémon’s type matches its move’s type, that move is made much more powerful! Here you go! Your Poketch coupon!”

And then a soft spoken one near the TV station.

“Hi. I’m a Poketch campaign clown! Let’s roll out my question! Can a Pokémon hold an item? ”

_Yes_

“Ding, Ding!” He cried happily. “You’re absolutely correct! A Pokémon may hold a single item. Some items becomes effective as soon as they are held by a Pokémon . Berries are eaten by Pokémons as necessary during battle. Here you go! Your Poketch coupon!”

And in the same way their director was almost impossible to find but she knew where to search: back near the school and the Pokémon Shopp, in one of the main streets.

“Mmm? Oh hello!” Smiled the man when seeing her with the three slip of paper in her hands. “Let me count them. I’ll use the Poketch here…”

She almost laughed when the man actually used his Poketch to just count the coupon. Then he used it to actually scan the barcodes. 

“One, two and three! Bravo! I say Bravo! In return for these Coupons, I present you this Pokémon Watch or Pokétch for short!”

The man brandished with much fanfare the object and put it himself around her wrist. He kept smiling and babbling as he turned it on and began setting the hour and date properly:

“You can add apps to your Pokétch to make it even more versatile! Touch the Pokétch screen and try it out!”

But she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. A true Pokémon watch now sat snugly on her wrist. Not a plastic cheap thing, not game toy that copied the appearance but was another game inside, not an illusion for cosplay. The true Pokémon Watch showing the hours, a notepad, a step counter and detecting…

That she didn’t have any Pokéball or Pokémons.

She quickly changed the screen, hoping that he hadn’t seen with how it was upside down and tiny for him.

“Oh~? And prospective Trainer, huh?” He smiled. “ I apologise for my forwardness but, do you intend to be a Trainer with those legs?”

At first Jéna couldn’t stop herself from throwing a heated look at the man.

But then she smirked, a thing full of teeth stretching across her cheeks:

“I’ll even travel the whole world.”

_And I dare you to tell me otherwise. Because I’d make you watch me._

“I see!” Exclaimed the man with a great laugh. “I can’t wait to see it!”

He left and she let the air get out of her lungs in on great blow. Her smile was just as wide as before but happy and proud.

She finally felt like she could do it. Like she _was_ doing it.


	3. We’re so very different it looks as disturbing as it is marvellous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About bittersweet things. It gets better.

She woke up with a start, a voice barking in her ears.

At the door of the city’s gate was a woman, a police officer that was not Jenny but a random woman with brown hairs and a pair of trousers instead of Jenny’s skirt.

“What are you doing here?” Asked harshly the woman as she came to stand before Jéna. “Why are you not home?!”

“I’m sorry!” Explained quickly Jéna while trying to roll herself away. “I’m going!”

“That doesn’t answer me!” Exclaimed the woman, one hand coming down on the wheelchair.

“I just fell asleep, I’m sorry!”

“Here of all places!?”

“I was waiting for someone, sorry.” The blonde lied quickly. “I’m so tired I fell asleep. I just…I just came out of this accident about two weeks ago…”

The woman sighed heavily before pushing her out of the gate:

“Since your so tired, go home to rest. I don’t even know how you managed to make your way in there in this state. Have a good day and do be careful on your way back.”

“Y-yes ma’am.” She stammered as the woman lifted her, wheelchair and all, of the floor and on the path down the stairs. “Have a good day.”

She made quick work to get herself away.

Sadly, I seemed that escaping trouble with the police officers meant her luck had run out for the day. She visited the Pokemon center but they had no vacancy, no rooms, no Pokémon in need of a trainer and no way to help.

Throught the nurse Joy – _Oh dear lord, it was her! –_ did say they had a lot of procedure in place to get Pokémon’s back from trainers if there was a need but at the end of every week, they send them all to professor Rowan’s lab. If they ended up with any at all.

Apparently, there had been one three weeks ago and that was all.

She was going to be out of idea to save herself. She was getting worried.

“Jane!” Screamed suddenly someone in the street. “Oh dear lord, Jane!”

Someone else screamed but the woman was sobbing at much louder volume as she ran at Jéna. She got her hands on the wheelchair handles, on the bony shoulders and managed to hold the face with that horrible scratches throught the cheek for a second before both women recoiled.

“You-!” Choked the woman, a red head in her forties.

“Oh, mom.” Sighed someone else behind them. “Hello, Jéna.”

“Jéna.” Repeated dully the woman.

Jéna turned awkwardly to see behind her to discover the blond and green-eyed boy she had met at the hospital with his Shinx and still his crutches. Seeing her turning like that, he took a few steps to stand in front of her.

“This is my mother. Mom, this is Jéna that I met at the hospital.”

“Oh.” Sniffled the woman. “I-I’m sorry for rushing onto you like that. I saw your hair and-and I…I just thought…”

Jéna threw a confused glance at her acquaintance as the woman trailed of, obviously drinking in the young woman’s features.

“She thought you were my sis. “Explained the young trainer. “She blond and got green eyes too. And-well, and she disappeared not too long ago.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry.” Apologized the woman.

“No, it’s alright. No need to apologize.” Jéna quickly cut in. “I’m sorry about your daughter, I hope you find her soon.”

“I’m so stupid, you don’t even look like her.” Murmured the woman before letting out another sob.

“Mom!”

“That’s not true, Madam. You just want…”-“To find Jane!” Babbled both Youngs together.

The woman didn’t even begin to smile, simply staring at a curl of dark blond hair that curled around Jéna’s profile in silence.

“Hey, Jéna. How about you come with us?”

“That was-“ _not creepy at all._ She began before starting again. “Where? Why?”

“Just home. For tea? Chocolate?” He shrug. “We should go home.”

With this he turn a worried look toward his mother, who startle at the words and seems ready to protests.

“You’re right, it’s late and they should call soon.”

Jéna can’t help but look at them with open curiosity and Jun is kind enough as to mouth “Police” as he turn her chair in the right direction before letting her go.

“So, how are you healing, Jéna?” He asked.

They both couldn’t but see his mother search the crowd and the duo of young adults. Her eyes would fleet everywhere, making her look almost panicked. She clearly listened with one ear only.

“Fine. I’m keeping an eye on the tear in my side since it’s the worst.”

“Didn’t you have an open break in your arm?” He asked with a pointed look toward it.

“Yes but it closed just before I got out. Just enough not to worry anymore.”

“Right. Were did you find a room.”

She didn’t look at him.

“Near the gate. You know, the one that lead to the sea?”

“Yeah, I see it. What about your stuff? I know you didn’t have much.”

“Oh, I’m fine.” She answered before she realised that he had to know she was wearing the same clothes in a worst state than at the hospital. She cringed but hid it by looking away a second. “What about you? You’re healing well?”

“Well, it was pretty bad so its pretty slow but otherwise I’m good.”

“What happened to you, exactly?”

They fell silent. It was the first Jun’s mother properly participated in their discussion. The woman had stopped searching for something out in the street and simply stared at the two of them.

“Mom! That’s just-!”

“I was in a car accident with my family. I just remember the car rolling. And my family moving about before I fainted.”

“And then you met Jun at the hospital? Randomly?”

Jéna frowned and Jun threw her a silent apology with a look as he answered:

“Yes, there was this nurse with her Chiney, remember? She kept making everyone make friends.”

“And where is your family now?”

“Mom, is this an interrogation?” Hissed Jun before Jéna could do more than glare at the woman. “Are you serious?”

“I was just curious.” She interrupted, crossing her arms with a defensive look.

“And rude.”

With that, Jun took control of the rest of the discussion, stirring it toward lighter subject. How he had fallen exactly, he actually tripped on his Shinx on the road and rolled down a hill, how the Shinx was mischievous and proud one, how his dad would like her as an old trainer, latest trend and gossip…

Once at his home he kept to the same method to stop his mother from talking to her. Jéna ended up happily settled on the couch with hot cocoa. Well, as happily as she can in the circumstances.

“I need to have a talk with my mom.” Say Jun after the woman has disappeared in another room. “Will you be okay for a time?”

“Sure, go take care of her.” She answers, pushing him away.

“I’m sorry.” He say before dropping his Shinx in her lap and disappearing.

She watch him go with his shoulder rigid and thin lips. Something is obviously wrong. Something about Jane. Who is not here.

She’s worried and sorry for them. She wish Jane was here.

She can imagine what it must be.

After all, in another world. She, herself, is either dead or gone, disappearing somehow.

She can imagine whatever took her having such good timing that her family was taken out of the car but then it exploded or something and everyone think she burned inside. The absence of a body is explained. Or there is a body left, she actually died, but she was given a copy of her body here.

She knows it’s her body anyway. She can find all her moles, her birthmarks and her scars.

Or she disappeared and it’s completely inexplicable. Everyone in her homeworld is left wondering in pain and sadness. They end up having to classify her as dead.

Her family has to mourn and attend a funeral again. But this time is kinda worse because they’re making an empty tomb and urn for one of the children of the family. For one of those who should have died after them. For one those they never should have really worried about her dying.

She remembers her father turning toward her and her brother moving. So her family had to deal with their wounds too and the wounds of each other. And what about her mother? She was in driver seat, right before Jéna, so she couldn’t see her. What if her mother was badly wounded? What if she died?

In the same way, Jun’s family must be suffering just the same. Where is she? Is she well? Is she hurt? Is she dead? What happened?

Voices float to her ears and she can almost listen to the conversation if she strains. That’s when she realises, she’s eavesdropping on Jun and his mother’s conversation. She hears hushed voices and sobs and decide the Shinx in her lap must have all her attention.

The little thing made himself comfortable on her dead legs, almost hiding himself between her thighs in a ridiculous way. She slowly run her finger through the fur of his head before continuing her way down his back when he doesn’t protest. Before long, she’s listening to his purr, like a sound heard through a bad radio full of static, and getting zapped by a few sparks of electricity still charged in his fur. Each time she jumps, he protests until she goes back to petting him, and she laugh lightly, amused.

When Jun finally sit with her in the couch, the Shinx and her are excited balls of energy playing together and roughhousing.

“You two are kids.” He says as he looks down on the Pokemon fondly.

“You are just jealous.” The blond tease.

“Of what?” He huffs with laughter.

“That he’s playing with me.”

“Yeah, right. I have _her_ every day.”

“Woops.” She mumbles, trying to hide her smile. Because she’s sorry but she’s still having too much fun. “Sorry, darling.”

The Shinx doesn’t seem to care. Or maybe she’s using the game as revenge since the woman’s finger are her new victims as she latches onto them and nibble a bit too hard.

“What’s her name?”

“Flash.” Admit Jun, cringing. “I named her before knowing too.”

Jéna send him a mocking look and the boy can’t help but pout. She’s ready to play again with the Shinx when he speaks again.

“I’m sorry about my mom.”

“It’s fine.” She answers carelessly. “Something bad happened, I get it. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not.” He groans. “It’s not because she’s in pain that she can take it out on someone else.”

He marks a pause, ruffling his curly hair before turning to her again.

“It’s worse if she happens to lash out at someone who’s already having a bad time of their own.” He continues as he lowers his eyes meaningfully on her legs.

Her feet where put perfectly on the floor, unnaturally still and straight. Her legs didn’t even move an inch even with her roughhousing and she already lost some muscle.

“It’s alright.” She says again, smiling softly, sadly.

They’re all in pain. But it’s going to be alright.

In the end, Jun invite her to stay for dinner. Jéna accept politely and can’t help noticing that there was a feast on the table later on. So much so that Maria begged her to take this and that back with her. And, surely, it was much to late now, she’d stay the night? She could use her and Jane’s old clothes as well as that toothbrush still in the package and Jane’s room.

Here’s a bag to transport it all with you tomorrow.

Jéna could hardly protest against the woman no matter how much she wanted too. She stopped trying when Jun told her it was her way of apologising and to bring back nothing to them.

She needed it anyway.

When she was shown to the room, she had a nasty surprise.

It looked horribly like _her room._

Like, everything had seen his color changed and moved two inches. The double bed was also a couch with a mountain of pillow and two furs. Exactly like hers. The shelves were full of books against this wall. The corner desk formed a U with another desk, there was a mirror on one desk with fake flowers; on the other there was a computer, a wide screen and a drawing tablet. There was a cute box with a bow full of cute plushies and here was two mirrors. The windows was a glass door leading to the garden and those shelves where full of knit knacks to decorate.

And she found a picture of Jane. Who was a blonde woman whose hair were long and straight -her own were a mane of wild curls- and clear green eyes – hers were dark- with a wide smile.

Jane et Jéna, blond hair and green eyes, pale and tall, with a little brother.

Its always when you’re not searching for it anymore that you finally find it.

She was grateful, but she was going tomorrow, praying she hadn’t done arm to the other woman by some sort of cosmic attempt to keep things in some sort of equilibrium.

And she never was coming back. That woman was seeing a ghost each time she looked at Jéna.

In this case, Jéna was searching for a job -giving out C.V printed at Jun’s house, when she passed by the Pokémon school.

And saw an old man open the doors, enter, and lock them behind him.

The blond woman almost choked on her own spit at the sigh of what _just had to be the school’s director._

By the time she was before the door and knocking, he had long gone deeper inside. But she couldn’t miss this opportunity so she rung, then knock strongly enough that her knuckles smarted. She put herself in plain view, right where you could see her through both the glass doors and the windows. She did it three times, patiently waiting for someone to react in between – if fidgeting counted as patiently- and prayed.

She waited. And waited. Long enough that two persons stopped long enough to tell her the school year had not begun yet and no one was here.

No one came, even when she stayed all day in the street, keeping a eye on the school as she offered her C.V to nearby shops.

She left her C.V in the school’s mail box and wrote a letter of motivation at the back of it.

By the time she gave up for the day, it was too late to do much. She made her way back to the gate, made sure the policewoman was not here, and traversed it.

It was getting dark but the sea was right there, a few meters before the gate, and it was a sigh she knew by heart. The light sound of the wave crashing softly against the rocks, their slow dance and their colors, everything was everchanging and yet always as she knew it. She knew their sound when filling your ears or hiding in a shell by a trick. She knew the blur of sand and salt in the water, the dance of algae, the silver flash of fishes and the slow path of the jellyfish. She knew the sound of the seagull singing and of the other birds. Even the crys of Pokemon added to it didn’t change the familiarity of it. She knew the cool feeling of the water, the sting of the salt, the dryness of the throat. She knew the soft sand, warm jagged rocks and burning sand.

She knew. She remembered. And as she rested near her second home, like the earth under her had her heart so did the sea, she felt better than ever. With the adventure of her dreams in one hand, no matter how much trouble she was in, and home in the other. She felt at her place.

Perhaps, when she’d travel, she’d make sure to follow rivers and lakes. Certainly, she wouldn’t let the sea have the time to be missed again.

“Ah. My heart will always be with the sea.”

Jéna turned, surprised, and not, to find a fisher standing not too far from her side. The wind by the coat was blowing as strongly as ever, so she did not hear him come.

“The darkness under the wave, the jagged rocks, the strong wind, the pull against the fishing rod! _Yes! An old Rod is a good thing! You think so too, am I right?”_

He smiled bright and wide but she didn’t have the heart to give it to him: her smile was bittersweet as she answered.

_Yes_

“Here, I’ll teach you. Well, I guess I’ll teach you again.” He said as he put a Rod of sturdy polished but old wood into her hands. “I know someone who know the sea when I see one! Bet you’re dad fished with you one or twice or something, huh?”

“And before him, my granddad.” She found herself answering.

She didn’t even remember that, she had been too young. She only knew that she did, unable to hold unto the memories but forever remembering.

The hummed as he untangled the line, made it fly away unto the side and let her throw it in the water. She felt him more than she saw him as he settled a few rocks before her wheels and pushed it a bit forward. He was only satisfied with his work when he could not make her roll over the rocks anymore.

With a smile, he filled a bucked with water and kept it with a net in between them before he began his own fishing.

“When they tug on yours, call me, okay?”

Time passed by in this tranquil ambiance. The kind that soothed her very soul, let remember what she had lost in sadness _and_ happiness, let her know what was coming with joy and courage.

She felt like she was mourning.

When something finally caught her her line, their force was so much it actually managed to drag her forward almost into the rock, a good meter forward, before the fisher caught her. He was quick to hold out the net to catch whatever he let her drag out of the water by her own strength.

When the being got forced out of the water, they discovered a magikarp. The Pokemon looked like a fat red-golden carp koï with bright, shiny scales, and bigger than any fish she ever saw.

Sharks usually had his size.

The fisher threw a Pokeball with an excited cry and a Buizel appeared to begin a combat. The Buizel reminded Jéna a lot a simple otter but with red furr and a sac of leathery skin around its neck.

The fight and capture was an easy task and the fisher put the Pokeball with the Magikarp in her hands before catching the rod’s hook to check it for knot or damage.

 _“We can be friends.”_ He smiled as he let go. “ But I must go, its getting late. _There you go, that’s my old rod.”_

“What?” She exclaimed as he left both the rod and the Pokeball. “You’re giving them to me?!”

“Yes! Take care of them! And of yourself!”

She couldn’t protest more, she wouldn’t. Instead, she laughed.

Her first Pokemon was a Magikarp, a Pokemon she wouldn’t be able to fight with until he somehow reached level 20 or something.

She hid inside the gate from the darkness again and took the time to inventory everything she now had.

One full Pokemon with a Magikarp. It was a little too big to fit confortably in her hand, the top shined in the light an showed her a tiny sea tinted in red by the device. She could vaguely see her new Pokemon dart around the algae.

The Poke Ball had already connected itself to her Pokemon watch. The app used to keep track of Pokémons actually did more than in the game. She could see its health, about half of it remaining, and its level was of six. It was a he and she could save his name there.

She paused and thought about it. He wasn’t just a Magikarp but a living being. She liked giving names. What had she named the Magikarp made of pixel? King or something like that?

She wrote _Leviatant._ Nothing original but with a good meaning.

Also, both the Pokéball and Pokémon watch seemed to have registered her as his Trainer and owner, saving even a scan of her very fingerprints taken from the Pokéball very surface.

She still had a few bars of cereal and what was left of dinner at Jun’s to eat. She counted her handful of Pokédollars again and put them in one of the travel bag’s pocket.

She wondered if she’d buy a new won and dare throw this gift away or if she’d kept a disappeared woman’s things to use later on.

The cloak was as it was when she woke with it the morning before. She let it unfold without care on her knew and began digging in the bag anew.

There was three shirts and pants, three set of undergarments -she was a bit proud to see Jane needed tiny bras-, and another set of shoes. One jacket, on umbrella and a dress. There was also a water bottle, shampoo and soaps, a few pads and a sleeping bag.

This was great! With that, she could definitely prepare much more easily for her travels.

First step:

_Fucking finally getting to the school._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, the fisher's lines made in italic are from the game, i checked a walkthrought on youtube for english's sentences.   
> By the way which Pokemon do you wish to have first if you were in Jéna's place?  
> (Hum, just not with wounds. I don't wish that on anyone.)


End file.
